


Drumming

by TheWanderingJade



Series: Camping Getaways [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1612019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWanderingJade/pseuds/TheWanderingJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the eldest Stark brothers come home for break, a camping trip takes place; they're all conspiring against Jon he just doesn't see it until it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drumming

**Author's Note:**

> As this is a modern AU setting, Jon Snow is known as Jon Stark. Robb, Talisa, Diana and Jon are all at University together. Sansa is a junior in high school, as is Pod, Arya is a sophomore, and Gendry is a senior. This work was inspired by Florence + The Machine's Drumming Song.

It had been a somewhat long but fun trip to the campground, Jon was sore in places from the hike but wasn’t one to complain much, not that there was any point anyway. It was nice to get off campus and spend time with friends and family out in the relative middle of nowhere; there was Jon, his half-brother Robb (and his girlfriend Talisa), his half-sister Sansa (and her boyfriend a nice lad that tended to shy from too much talk named Podrick), his half-sister Arya (and her “sort of” boyfriend Gendry), and Talisa’s friend Diana. It had not been lost on Jon that everyone other than Diana and himself were dating, and it’s not that he had any real problems finding dates or girlfriends; he had gotten somewhat better at it after high school, but Robb and much to his annoyance, Theon (though thank the gods he was too busy dealing with a visit from his sister to come along) were much better at it than he was even in college. He admitted, if only to himself, that something about Diana (who he did find attractive, kind and interesting), made him a bit apprehensive around her. Rounding out their group, he and his half siblings had brought along their pets, Grey Wind, Lady, Nymeria, and Ghost, which meant that as they all (he said all, but mostly it was the guys with the occasional help from Arya, or Diana) set up the tents while the girls gathered kindling, and water so they wouldn’t have to use up all they had brought with them there was plenty to do and no time to really complain; even the occasional “accidental” touches seemingly encouraged by Talisa or Arya between himself and Diana were not anything for him to complain about.

Having reached the campgrounds in the early afternoon, they had spent the time after getting settled (he was still unsure how much he believed Diana had just “forgotten” her tent), cooking, joking, and singing along to songs from the random collections on their phones. Once the sun had started to set fully, they gathered around the fire with an assortment of treats to roast for dessert, when Talisa lamented that none of them had brought a guitar.

“I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t wish to hear Jon howling along to a tune…” Robb’s tone was playful and fun, even as Talisa grinned and pushed him.

“Maybe not me but I’m sure we could find someone who would be…” Jon ignored the wide grin and obvious glance Talisa gave from Diana to himself, turning his attention instead to Sansa who was prodding her boyfriend gently.

“Pod can sing, he did a lovely version of _The Rains of Castamere_ in drama class.” Jon could practically see the blush creep up the young man’s face and couldn’t help but chuckle as Pod was clearly in distress. Distress because as far as Jon knew (and he and Robb made it a point to know as much as humanly possible about their sisters’ admirers), the boy would deny Sansa almost nothing, but he was still uneasy around her brothers, a fact that Sansa was either unaware of or unconcerned by. Despite obvious amusement and sniggering from Arya, who tried to keep her eyes on the skewer full of marshmallows she was roasting, Podrick soon stood and cleared his voice. Robb and Talisa though cuddling together, made sure to give him all of their attention, and even Diana who Jon noted was sitting across from where he was, petting Ghost gently (the traitor), encouraged the enamored highschooler.

That none of them were prepared for the sheer talent from the normally shy and quiet boy who was ten times the last boy Sansa had gone out with (no one was entirely sure who in the family was most relieved that Joffrey had been shipped off to boarding school, Sansa or the rest of them), would have been the understatement of the century. Even Jon, who was most often referred to as stoic and brooding, clapped in appreciation as Pod gave a very quick bow and even quicker retreated back to Sansa’s side. It made him happy though, to see his sister beaming at the boy, even if she also was the one to wrap Pod’s arm around her and hug him. Wishing to stop the sentimentality before it really began, Arya took it upon herself to quickly start a rousing rendition of _The Maiden and the Bear_ , and though none of them were drinking (as if some of the youngsters needed any more temptation) it was a song that quickly broke off into fits of laughter as they all joined in, even their pets who howled at intervals.

They had gone quiet for a while, talking occasionally, when he became aware that they had shifted somewhat; Robb and Talisa had moved further from where they had been sitting to be closer to the entrance of their tent; Arya had slipped into the tent she was sharing with Sansa, (though he and Robb had a sort of odd curiosity how long it’d be before they just switched to be with their respective significant others) to change into her camp pajamas, otherwise known as shorts and an old sweatshirt that came down to the top of her knees before joining Gendry, sitting close enough that she could rest her chin on his shoulder, while attempting to steal bites of his s’mores; Sansa who had changed before encouraging Pod to sing, was curled up with her head on Pod’s chest and Lady resting against her; but his attention had drifted again to Diana, who had from what he could see retreated some from where she had been with Ghost and was leaning against a tree, watching the fire.

He wasn’t going to comment on it, not that he could figure how to without drawing far too much attention to the fact that he was paying attention to her. Jon had nothing against the girl; she even shared one of his history classes at Uni, they had spoken a few times there. No, the reason he had kept his distance was because he didn’t want to fall, not again; he felt a fool and was still, as Robb liked to tell him, punishing himself for something he had no control over; and Diana had a charm to her that he had no intention of denying, he could fall if he let himself. To say that Jon Stark was immune to Diana’s charm was stupidity, no, he wasn’t, but Jon was punishing himself for the love he had lost before Diana ever came into his life. Part of him wanted to move on, knew that three years was enough of his not really pursuing any woman beyond a few dates here and there, the same part that threw very colorful epithets at him when he tried to convince himself that he didn’t deserve anyone loving him. But there were days where he convinced himself that it was easier to be unhappy and alone, than to deal with losing someone he loved in a manner he could do nothing about. He shook his head as he noticed Robb stand and come over to him, and Talisa go speak with Diana; he could just hear Arya convincing her sister and their friends to start a game of cards with her as his brother sat down.

“I think we’ve done pretty well for ourselves no? No one’s lost any fingers and any day that can end with only one argument between Sansa and Arya is a victory won in my book.” Jon couldn’t help but chuckle at his brother’s words, especially when they were rebuked by the youngest Stark girl in question.

“Hey, I can hear you, you know! Don’t be an arse, Robb.” Arya stuck her tongue out in their direction, and Jon was amused to see that when Sansa went to scold her, Pod just squeezed her gently closer to him and she decided against it. Apparently scolding Arya when Pod was willingly being her pillow was the least pleasant of her options at the moment.

“Oi, it’s not nice to be mean to your older brother, one who is willing to overlook certain things if you all promise self-restraint?” Robb gave his sisters and their beaus a look that to Jon was exceptionally reminiscent of their father, making him wonder if Robb was even aware of doing it. Anything Jon was going to add was interrupted by Talisa returning near the fire holding onto Diana’s hand, who was being half led, half tugged over in a clear fashion of not wanting to be there entirely.

“Diana doesn’t believe you guys would like to see her sing and dance…” Talisa dropped her friend’s hand, crossing her own arms and tapping her foot on the ground in an impatient manner. Jon blinked in confusion, wondering where that idea had even come from, he was suddenly feeling hot and it had nothing to do with his proximity to the fire. That was the second reason he sometimes avoided Diana, he had caught a glimpse of her practicing one of her dances one day as he took a shortcut towards the library; he had no problem memorizing how she moved even if he had only seen the last minute or so of her practice. She had been hypnotizing then, her movements engrained into a part of his psyche that he tended to revisit only in the solitude of the dark and his dreams. (Not that he had any intention of admitting that to anyone anytime soon, either.)

“I can either sing or dance, I can’t possibly do both and not end up looking a fool.” Diana’s voice was slightly strained or rather; it had the rare tone of defeat underlying it.

“Fine, I’ll do the drumming and we can just hit play on that cover you did a few weeks ago.” Talisa waved a dismissive hand at her friend, moving to pull a drum from near her and Robb’s tent to a better spot.

“I thought I told you not to keep that, it’s not even that good.” Diana arched a brow at her friend, watching her movements with a twist of her lips in either annoyance or displeasure, Jon couldn’t say for sure.

“Yes, but I elected to ignore such a stupid request when it’s really good…that and I couldn’t figure out how to even erase it from my phone.” Talisa shrugged and smiled brightly at her friend.

“It’s hardly an appropriate dance for company…” Diana had moved closer to her friend, and Jon realized she had changed into a flowing skirt with slits that seemed oddly familiar.

“They’re not company, they’re family and friends, and entirely capable of enjoying a dance; right?” Talisa grinned widely at the younger group, and Jon felt Robb clasp his shoulder before leaning closer to him.

“You might want to pay attention, dear brother.” Robb’s grin only gave away that he and Talisa had been plotting against him; but Jon didn’t have too much time to ponder what was meant as Robb got up and joined Talisa around the drum.

They started a steady beat that Jon was sure he had heard on the radio before; Diana had moved to a clear spot next to the fire where she could easily dance without fear of setting herself on fire. Despite his suspicions, Jon found himself moving to sit up in a better spot, leaning back against a crate he had brought along, where he could have the most direct view of Diana from where he sat. He felt his hand grip slightly on the bottle he held in his hand, as Talisa hit the play button on her phone and a cover of Drumming Song started in Diana’s voice; feeling himself swallow thickly as his eyes focused on her.

 

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_

_That starts when you're around_

_I swear that you could hear it_

_It makes such an all mighty sound_

__

_There’s a drumming noise inside my head_

_That throws me to the ground_

_I swear that you should hear it_

_It makes such an all mighty sound_

__

Her movements matched the rhythm and intensity of the song; he wasn't sure how she could move her hips in that way that made her skirt dance with her, making him jealous that the fabric could caress her skin so easily when he could not.

_Louder than sirens_

_Louder than bells_

_Sweeter than heaven_

_And hotter than hell_

He swallowed again as she brought her hands to her hair, tangling the curls in a messy bunch at the crown of her head that made him wonder what it would be like to close his fist in her hair while pulling her closer.

_I ran to a tower where the church bells chime_

_I hoped that they would clear my mind_

_They left a ringing in my ear_

_But that drum’s still beating loud and clear_

__

_Louder than sirens_

_Louder than bells_

_Sweeter than heaven_

_And hotter than hell_

He wasn’t entirely sure what else was happening around the campfire, the flicker of the flames cast light and shadows that danced and chased each other across her skin. She twirled and swayed, working her hips in one way then the other and he felt like he was drowning for breath as he drank a bit deeper than he should from the fizzy beverage he had opted for.

_Louder than sirens_

_Louder than bells_

_Sweeter than heaven_

_And hotter than hell_

__

_Louder than sirens_

_Louder than bells_

_Sweeter than heaven_

_And hotter than hell_

He drained the bottle, and moved it to the side as he couldn’t focus on anything other than her as the song intensified and he hardly had any time to ponder if he could make himself drunk off of just noise; when she moved towards him, he could only just register that she was not close enough to touch and his hands ached for her.

_As I move my feet towards your body_

_I can hear this beat it fills my head up_

_And gets louder and louder_

_It fills my head up and gets louder and louder_

She hit the dirt near him, just out of his reach. Jon couldn’t look away from her, not that he wanted to, he had no idea when she had gotten a bottle of water, or why he could only focus on the singular thought of wanting to meet the rivulets of water now traveling down her face and neck, with his tongue before they disappeared down the edge of her tank. He vaguely wondered if they would emerge under the hem anytime soon.

_I run to the river and dive straight in_

_I pray that the water will drown out the din_

_But as the water fills my mouth_

_It couldn’t wash the echoes out_

_But as the water fills my mouth_

_It couldn’t wash the echoes out_

__

She backed away from him, turning quickly enough that he felt drops of water land on his skin, but he doubted they had any chance against the heat his skin was holding. He heard a light growl, and momentarily wondered why Ghost would growl at her, when he caught sight of his furry companion half asleep next to Grey Wind and Nymeria some space behind where Diana danced; he ignored the glances he suddenly felt that told him the growl was his own and not entirely inaudible to the rest.

 

_I swallow the sound and it swallows me whole_

_Till there’s nothing left inside my soul_

_As empty as that beating drum_

_But the sound has just begun_

__

She got closer again; this time catching his gaze, he was sure it was a trick of the fire when her aquamarine eyes for a moment seemed molten amber in color. He couldn’t remember why he had distanced himself in the first place…he wanted to be closer to her.

_As I move my feet towards your body_

_I can hear this beat it fills my head up_

_And gets louder and louder_

_It fills my head up and gets louder and louder_

__

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_

_That starts when you're around_

_I swear that you could hear it_

_It makes such an all mighty sound_

__

_There's a drumming noise inside my head_

_That starts when you're around_

_I swear that you could hear it_

_It makes such an all mighty sound_

__

He wasn’t sure when he stood then, but suddenly he felt the loose dirt under his toes when he took a step off the blankets set down at each of the openings for their tents. She seemed to watch him as she danced, slowing just slightly from what he could tell but he didn’t move closer, he was trying to slow his breathing to something more normal as he realized it had become heightened.

_Louder than sirens_

_Louder than bells_

_Sweeter than heaven_

_And hotter than hell_

__

_Louder than sirens_

_Louder than bells_

_Sweeter than heaven_

_And hotter than hell_

__

_As I move my feet towards your body_

_I can hear this beat it fills my head up_

_And gets louder and louder_

_It fills my head up and gets louder and louder_

__

He met her when she moved towards him again; he could blame the song, the rhythm, the enchantment of fire and wind rustling through the trees; the way her hips swayed accenting the lyrics, the flair and sway of her skirt, he could blame the way her curls tumbled and begged him to come closer so they could ensnare him; but he had known the first time she had stood up to him when he said something stupid and unkind, he wanted to be enough for her.

The last verse of the song was left un-danced, Jon had reached her and before he could think about it felt his lips on hers with the desperation of a man deprived of air. The song stopped, the drumming moved from the taut leather to their bodies, he could taste it on her lips, that was the first thing he registered; the second was the sound of giggling from their audience. He pulled back, a surge of pride flowing through him at the dazed look on Diana’s face as he took her hand in his own.

“I think a bow is in order…” His voice was not quite normal, he couldn’t hide the underlying drumming; but he didn’t acknowledge it instead twirling Diana and holding her hand as she bowed before he led her to the tent; he’d deal with the chiding and playfully knowing looks in the morning. Gods knew there was little hope of any of them letting go of being right. He had been hers since before he realized it, but now he knew it. The drumming was her, and it was all encompassing and all he had needed.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided I might make more one shot drabbles like this, probably focusing on different pairings for each drabble.


End file.
